The stress test is a test used by medical professionals in order to determine how a person's heart reacts to exercise, from which they are able to deduce the state of that person's well-being.
Either a treadmill or an exercise bike is used in the test to stimulate the person's heart.
An electrocardiogram and blood pressure cuff make up the rest of the equipment.
The heart function of the patient is then measured.
This test is also often known by several other names such as Exercise Electrocardiography, Stress ECG, and Exercise ECG.
Achieving The Target Heart Rate The stress test involves getting the patient to either walk on the treadmill or pedal on the exercise bike while the electrocardiogram measures that amount of electrical activity going on in the heart.
The blood pressure cuff is also used to measure the patient's blood pressure at regular intervals.
The stress test stipulates a certain target heart rate that the patient should reach before the test is stopped.
If, however, the patient experiences any chest pains or his or her blood pressure rises substantially before this target heart rate, then the test will be aborted immediately.
It is also important for the patient to refrain from eating, smoking, or drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages during the three hours just prior to the test.
Also, for ten to fifteen minutes after the completion of the stress test, the patient will be monitored until his or her heart rate has returned to normal.
You should also keep in mind the fact that a stress test is not a fool-proof test and it does not always detect medical conditions that a patient may be suffering from.
Recent studies have shown that as many as fifty-six patients who took stress tests actually hardened arteries, despite the fact that they were given a clean bill of health according to the results of their tests.
Despite this, it is still recommended that you take a stress test, as it is actually helpful to a doctor in determining your prognosis as well as in the detection of any possible future complications.
This test can also be used to diagnose coronary arterial disease and to measure the effectiveness of treatments on this disease.
The stress test will also reveal whether a patient is susceptible to potentially fatal medical conditions such as heart attacks.
Finally, a stress test will also help you determine the type of exercise that is most appropriate for you, based on the amount of exertion that your body can withstand, and will also help determine the maximum level of exertion that you should push yourself to.
Either a treadmill or an exercise bike is used in the test to stimulate the person's heart.
An electrocardiogram and blood pressure cuff make up the rest of the equipment.
The heart function of the patient is then measured.
This test is also often known by several other names such as Exercise Electrocardiography, Stress ECG, and Exercise ECG.
Achieving The Target Heart Rate The stress test involves getting the patient to either walk on the treadmill or pedal on the exercise bike while the electrocardiogram measures that amount of electrical activity going on in the heart.
The blood pressure cuff is also used to measure the patient's blood pressure at regular intervals.
The stress test stipulates a certain target heart rate that the patient should reach before the test is stopped.
If, however, the patient experiences any chest pains or his or her blood pressure rises substantially before this target heart rate, then the test will be aborted immediately.
It is also important for the patient to refrain from eating, smoking, or drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages during the three hours just prior to the test.
Also, for ten to fifteen minutes after the completion of the stress test, the patient will be monitored until his or her heart rate has returned to normal.
You should also keep in mind the fact that a stress test is not a fool-proof test and it does not always detect medical conditions that a patient may be suffering from.
Recent studies have shown that as many as fifty-six patients who took stress tests actually hardened arteries, despite the fact that they were given a clean bill of health according to the results of their tests.
Despite this, it is still recommended that you take a stress test, as it is actually helpful to a doctor in determining your prognosis as well as in the detection of any possible future complications.
This test can also be used to diagnose coronary arterial disease and to measure the effectiveness of treatments on this disease.
The stress test will also reveal whether a patient is susceptible to potentially fatal medical conditions such as heart attacks.
Finally, a stress test will also help you determine the type of exercise that is most appropriate for you, based on the amount of exertion that your body can withstand, and will also help determine the maximum level of exertion that you should push yourself to.
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